


Duty and Vulnerability

by perfectpieces



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, dialogue may be slightly ooc...apologies, i just wanted pepper to keep the extremis virus okay, oh god i don't know where i was going with this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 21:05:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6024856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectpieces/pseuds/perfectpieces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Iron Man 3</p><p>   “It was just a dream. It’s not real.” Pepper whispered to herself. She repeated it again in her head, trying her hardest to believe it. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get those images out of her head. Killian strapping her into the machine and describing the whole process to her. She could remember every moment vividly as if it just happened yesterday. She could still feel the virus entering her body. The cruel laugh of Killian . . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duty and Vulnerability

**Author's Note:**

> hello and thank you for reading! as said in the summary, i wrote this about a week or so after iron man 3 was released. i just really liked the idea of pepper somehow still having the extremis virus and this was born! i don't know where exactly i was going with this; just a drabble really. a bit of pepperony fluff. 
> 
> thank you again for reading!

   Pepper opened her eyes in complete darkness. Her palms were sweaty and she was breathing heavily. She scanned the room for the clock. 3:43am. She groaned as she threw the covers of her and lifted herself up, careful not to wake up Tony, who was sleeping soundly beside her in his usual vest  top and shorts, his arc reactor shining blue as usual.

   “It was just a dream. It’s not real.” Pepper whispered to herself. She repeated it again in her head, trying her hardest to believe it. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get those images out of her head. Killian strapping her into the machine and describing the whole process to her. She could remember every moment vividly as if it just happened yesterday. She could still feel the virus entering her body. The cruel laugh of Killian. Not only that, but she had killed a man. Virginia Potts had killed someone and no matter how much she tries to forget or how much she tried to deny it, it would never completely go away.

   Tony had promised to get her fixed and she wouldn’t have to live with the horror anymore. “It may hurt a little bit, but don’t worry. It’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, and we’ll walk right on out of here and everything will be back to normal.”

   Pepper was still doubtful. Yes, the surgery did hurt. For the first week, she wasn’t allowed to get herself stressed or do too much work as it could reactivate the virus and she’d have to get it done all over again.

   That was certainly an experience she didn’t want to relive.

   Tony was fussing over her and looked over her like a hawk, making sure that she was getting exactly what she needed and not doing any work whatsoever. Usually, Pepper would protest, but she was too tired to and all she wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

   After two weeks of living like this, the doctor told her that she could start living normally now; only one step at a time. It started with Pepper just working from home, with help from Tony. He’d offer to read letters out to her when he felt like Pepper was overworking herself (which only took about two other letters being read) and he’d go to board meetings for her, keeping her updated on who has said what and what he had said.

   More often than not, she’d find Tony attempting to cook in the kitchen from a recipe book, asking Jarvis if he was doing it right and often sneaking tastes of what he was cooking. It would actually turn out alright, even if he’d forget one of the important ingredients once or twice or add too much salt because ‘what it said in the book didn’t seem like it was enough’. It was the thought that counted and Pepper admired him for it. She’d tell him that he was fine and that she wasn’t completely sick and she could do stuff once in a while, but Tony wasn’t having any of it. “The doctor said that you need to keep it low. Don’t work yourself to the bone.”

   “I’m perfectly capable of going to the store, Tony.” Pepper reminded him as she finished fixing her hair in the mirror.

   “There are people out there, Pep. You can’t just go outside and expect to come back in the same state.” Pepper raised her eyebrow at him.

   “Are you saying I’m weak, Stark?”

   “No, I’m just saying there are people out there and the world is a stressful place.” Tony corrected her. “I want you to be okay, Pepper.” Tony sighed. Pepper looked into his delicate brown eyes filled with worry. Pepper sighed before walking over to him.

   “I’ll be okay. It’s just a quick stop at the store to grab a few things and I’ll be gone.” She assured him, walking over to the wardrobe to put her jacket on. Tony was silent for a moment before her grabbed his own jacket.

   “I’m coming with you.” He stated, more than asked. “Can’t have you being stressed on your own.”

   Pepper smiled at the memory. It was those little things that she loved Tony for and that was why she didn’t have the heart to tell him that the surgery hadn’t worked.

   She wasn’t 100% sure, but she knew that she didn’t feel normal. It was as if there was a constant flame in her chest waiting to burst and take over her body. She constantly felt hot and couldn’t sleep with the blankets on anymore or hold onto something for too long. It drove her crazy yet she couldn’t tell anyone about it.

   Quickly, but silently, Pepper got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and looking into the mirror. Looking at herself, she thought that she looked normal. Just as she did every day. But she knew that wasn’t true. The virus was still living inside her, growing more and more each day. She was feeding it with her stress and her worry. Her constant ‘what ifs…?’ and ‘how abouts…?’ and her questioning everything and wondering how or why this happened.

   No, she could still think of one reason.

   Pepper noticed a flash of orange in her eyes, and that startled her for a moment. That was what she feared most. Losing control and doing things that she’d regret. Not that she regretted killing Killian, but it was still counted as killing, maniac or not. Pepper washed her face with freezing cold water, hoping that it would cool her down. To her surprise, it did, but it wasn’t long before she heated up again. She decided to walk back to bed, remove her long trousers, and pull the blanket over her halfway, avoiding touching Tony in case she accidently burnt him in her sleep.

   The CEO slowly closed her eyes, hoping that she wouldn’t wake up from the same nightmare again. The flame in her body still lighting, but not as strong as before. Maybe if she slept, she could forget about all this for a couple of hours. It was the closest she could get to forgetting everything that was going on right now and just be herself.

 

**x**

 

   Pepper awoke to clear sunshine shining through the window of the bedroom. She checked the clock next to her, 8:14am. She immediately sat up and looked over to Tony who was, once again, sleeping peacefully next to her.

   “Tony.” She began to shake him lightly, only with a light touch, trying not to burn him or startle him. Tony’s eyes flew open, and he smiled at the view of his girlfriend, but that faded once he noticed how stressed she sounded.

   “Pepper, what’s wrong?”

   “My alarm. It didn’t ring.” She told him, frowning. Careful not to let her eyes flash orange again.

   “I switched it off.” Tony answered, simply. Sitting up to meet level with Pepper who only glared at him.

   “Why would you do that?” She put her hands on her hips. At that moment, she swore that her eyes flashed orange. If not, they were glowing, and she wouldn’t blame Tony if he said something about it right now.

   “I didn’t want you to go to work today.” Tony pouted.  Pepper rolled her eyes knowing full well that Tony had gone and planned something behind her back. Usually, she wouldn’t mind. But at the moment, she just wanted to go back to her day to day life and live how she was living before all this happened. It gave her a chance to remind herself that she was still Pepper Potts, extremis virus or not.

   “I’m going to shower.” Pepper threw the covers off herself, and headed for the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she turned on the water to the coldest it could go, and stepped in letting the cold water hit her face and body. The cold water didn’t bother her and it in fact; it soothed her and made her feel calm. It gave her a sensation that she couldn’t explain. It was the equivalent to stepping into a hot bath after being out in the snow all day.

   When Pepper entered the bedroom again, she noticed that Tony was on his laptop, concentration on his face, 100% focused on what he was doing. He didn’t even notice Pepper enter the room in just a towel, which, considering it was Tony Stark, would grab his attention immediately.

   “Something wrong?” She slipped beside him, a flirty smile on her face. Tony wrapped an arm around her, but didn’t look up from his laptop.

   “Not unless you want it to be.” He kissed the side of her head lightly, before closing his laptop and pushing it aside.

   “Why did you turn my alarm of, Tony?” Pepper asked him seriously, looking him in the eye and making sure that she didn’t break contact.

   “I-I don’t know, Pep. I didn’t want you to go to work today.” Pepper only frowned at this. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an explanation. “You’re too stressed out, Pepper.” Tony sighed. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t want the virus coming back and having to go and get the surgery done all over again…” Pepper felt a touch of guilt after he had said that, and at that moment, she didn’t want to hear anymore.

   “I’m fine, Tony.” Tony gave her a doubtful look. “I am…really. Just let me…” She got up and walked over to her wardrobe. “…be normal for a change.” Tony shook his head.

   “Nuh-uh. Nope. You need rest.”

   “What I _need_ is to go back to my normal life and continue doing normal things in my normal day to day routine!” Pepper snapped, her eyes flashing bright orange that even she noticed it. Tony blinked, before running a hand through his hair.

   “Alright.” Pepper sighed.

   “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean it like that.” She assured him.

   “No, no, no. I get it. You’ve figured that by slowly going back to your daily routine, you will adjust to your daily life and…I get it.”

   “So I can go back to work tomorrow?” Pepper asked hopefully.

   “Hmm…not tomorrow…” And with that, Tony ran to the bathroom and shut the door behind him before Pepper could get another word in. Pepper only smiled lightly at her boyfriend before turning to get dressed.

   “You watch, then.”


End file.
